As we all know, most of the food available in supermarkets today is radically different from what our grandparents were used to.  Have you noticed how hard it can be to find commercial produce that even tastes good?  So much of it is totally bland and unappealing.  It's difficult to find tomatoes, berries, melons, corn, carrots, cucumbers, peaches, apples, or any other fruits and vegetables that are anywhere near as rich and flavorful as they're meant to be.  The lack of flavor is due to the fact that most crops are grown in soil that's severely deficient in nutrients.  Fruits and vegetables lose even more nutrient value and freshness because of all the time involved in shipping, warehousing, and product distribution.  In addition, much of our commercial food has been sprayed, chemically treated, or otherwise processed in ways that can be damaging to our health.  

Fortunately, there are lots of places where savvy consumers can still obtain fresh, natural, chemical - and toxin-free meats, produce, and dairy products - health food stores, farmer's markets, food coops, even mail-order suppliers.  Roughly half of all supermarkets in the US have small but growing selections of organic products.  This is due to a sharp increase in consumer demand for organic food in recent years.  According to the CROPP Cooperative, the largest organic farm cooperative in North America, the market for organic food is expanding by approximately 20% each year.  

Even though organic food products are more expensive than regular commercial products, demand is surging because consumers everywhere are becoming keenly interested in food that is both safe and good tasting.  They are tired of bland food, and they don't want to gamble with their health.  People realize that organic food is a sound investment, i.e., a good form of health insurance.

Shopping organic can be expensive, to not break your bank account, here is a list of the dirty dozen.  Besides meat, poultry, eggs and dairy buy the following Dirty Dozen, ORGANIC.

Dirty Dozen                               Cleanest 12               

(buy only Organic)                     (lowest in pesticides)

1. Peaches                                     1. Onions

2. Apples                                        2. Avocado

3. Sweet Bell Peppers                   3. Sweet Corn (frozen)

4. Celery                                        4. Pineapples

5. Nectarines                                 5. Mango

6. Strawberries                              6. Sweet peas (frozen)

7. Cherries                                    7. Asparagus

8. Lettuce                                      8. Kiwi

9. Grapes (imported)                     9. Bananas

10. Pears                                      10. Cabbage

11. Spinach                                   11. Broccoli

12. Potatoes                                  12. Eggplant